Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Water. I refer to the minister’s welcome announcement this morning that emissions trading will start in 2010 and ask: is the minister aware that modelling for the National Emissions Trading Taskforce concluded that, under trading, only modest abatement will actually take place before 2020 and result in an increase in electricity prices of 10 to 25 per cent? Minister, why not proceed quickly with a mandatory energy efficiency scheme that can have a much earlier effect and reduce the cost impact?